Posts by Josh Moody

Nehemiah 12, Proverbs 14:1-18, Luke 18:31-43, Titus 1:1-9  Luke 18:31-43: (Luke 18:31-34) Jesus again predicts his death and resurrection. This is the very center of what he came to do, the highpoint, and focus of all. He wants those around him to understand the significance of the event, that it is planned and deliberate, and that it is…

Nehemiah 11, Proverbs 13:13-25, Luke 18:18-30, 2 Timothy 4:9-22 Luke 18:18-30: Someone of privilege, high status, probably wealth, and standing, approaches Jesus. The question is to the point, with little time to waste, and appropriately polite as if the “ruler” knew how to address people with deference and politeness. “Good Teacher,” he says, “what must I do to…

Nehemiah 10, Proverbs 13:1-12, Luke 18:9-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-8  Luke 18:9-17: (18:9-14) Jesus tells a parable for those who trust in themselves and treat others with contempt. How common is this disease! Note the necessary result of trusting in yourself: treating others with contempt. If you are confident in your own righteousness, then it necessarily leads to thinking…

Nehemiah 9, Proverbs 12:15-28, Luke 18:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:10-17  Luke 18:1-8: There are motivations for prayer, but here in this parable Jesus pulls upon two less commonly considered motivations. The aim of Jesus teaching in these eight verses is, as Luke says, to teach us to “always pray and not give up.” Both those lessons need to be…

Nehemiah 8, Proverbs 12:1-14, Luke 17:20-37, 2 Timothy 3:1-9  Luke 17:20-37: The Pharisees ask the question that many people still ask: “When will the kingdom of God come?” Or, to put it another way, if everything you are saying is true, Jesus, when will we see this “kingdom of God” that you spend so much time talking about?…

Nehemiah 7, Proverbs 11:16-31, Luke 17:11-19, 2 Timothy 2:14-26  Luke 17:11-19: Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. As he enters a village, he is met by ten lepers. Leprosy, a skin disease, led not only to physical pain, sickness, and mortality—it also meant the sufferers were social outcasts. They are in a desperate situation. So they cry…

Nehemiah 6, Proverbs 11:1-15, Luke 17:1-10, 2 Timothy 2:1-13  Luke 17:1-10: (Luke 17:1-4) Jesus’ series of very practical instruction begins with a warning that while temptations to sin are bound to come, it would be by all means better if such temptations did not come through you. When we cause someone else to stumble or sin, we are…

Nehemiah 4-5, Proverbs 10:17-32, Luke 16:19-31, 2 Timothy 1  Luke 16:19-31: Perhaps one of the scariest, and most brilliant, stories ever told. In it we are introduced to a rich man who has everything this world can possibly give him. And then to a poor man who has nothing but pain and suffering. Such is the way of…

Nehemiah 3, Proverbs 10:1-16, Luke 16:10-18, 1 Timothy 6:11-21 Luke 16:10-18: Following Jesus takes effort and commitment. Jesus explains that in three subsections of this passage. (Luke 16:10-13) Continuing Jesus’ thought about money, he now addresses the way to gain true riches—eternal riches of relationship with Jesus now and forever. Our attitude towards money, whether we faithfully invest…

Nehemiah 1-2, Proverbs 9, Luke 16:1-9, 1 Timothy 6:1-10    Luke 16:1-9: Many people have wrestled with the meaning of this parable, but the important point to remember is that it is a parable. That is, as most parables (though not all), it has one main point which the story is used to illustrate. It is not an allegory, where…